Student voices unite for Word of Mouth
A cross-disciplinary showcase of collaborative creativity
Returning this year as the longest running, ongoing artistic collaboration within the School of the Arts, Word of Mouth began with a simple exchange between two peers.
“Word of Mouth began five years ago when Professor of Music Composition Daniel Thomas Davis and I had an organic conversation about art making. Our talk turned toward the potential for collaboration when he told me that composers needed words to be inspired,” Director of Creative Writing Tina Chang said. “From the start, it felt so wonderful to collaborate. We’ve had enthusiastic support from Harpur College and the Art Museum, where many of the performances had been staged.”
Taking place this year at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, in Casadesus Recital Hall, the free event is an annual live performance of songs co-created by student creative writers, composers and musicians. This semester, for the first time, student dancers from the Theatre Department will join Word of Mouth to interpret select compositions.
The project, initially a collaboration initially between the Music Department and the Creative Writing Program, has since grown; the generous funding of the School of the Arts and their mission to expand cross-disciplinary collaboration has made this iteration of the event possible.
“Seeing words translated into composition and then into music through Word of Mouth is always an inspiring experience,” said Christopher Robbins, founding director of the School of the Arts. “In Word of Mouth, seeing one student’s ideas transformed by others is fascinating, as well as a vivid example of how cross-disciplinarity opens new possibilities and creates new knowledge.”
Each year, Word of Mouth begins with undergraduate and graduate poets creating an initial text, which student composers then turn into compositions. This takes place over a semester, offering the time needed to contemplate the pieces they envision.
“This is a one-of-a-kind program that offers students the opportunity to move their lessons outside of the classroom and to apply their formal education to real-world artistic partnership,” Chang said. “It empowers students to be independent and agile, making many interdisciplinary decisions on their own while having the guidance of seasoned faculty. It’s been inspiring to see and feel the dynamic ingenuity of our students and to watch them grow their confidence and skill through this original experience.”
Over the years, there have been anywhere from nine to 24 matched pairs working collaboratively. Once songs are ready, instrumentalists, singers and dancers bring the music to life in a night of performances.
“Word of Mouth is uniquely ! It is very special in that it is based on sustained collaboration between composers, writers and vocalists — with every stage of the process underpinned by deep engagement across very different kinds of creative practices,” Davis said. “Each piece is a three-part feedback loop, with each participant already working at a high level of artistry and craft.”
Heidy Batista Garcia, a lecturer in the Theatre Department, worked alongside student dancers this year to create physical interpretations of the texts and music.
“The students have responded enthusiastically to this opportunity and are excited to be part of this collaboration. They have made time in their busy schedules to practice and prepare this dance together,” Batista Garcia said. “I believe that this experience allows them, as dance students and performers, to enhance their skills in front of an audience. In today’s interdisciplinary era, collaborating with the Music and Creative Writing departments is an incredible opportunity.”
Batista Garcia also notes that this is an opportunity for faculty to get involved — the event showcases her work as a choreographer — and a chance to for all involved to learn adaptability. Although she has been hard at work developing and rehearsing movements in relation to the sound and the text with students, a live performance must adjust to timing and tempo as the night unfolds.
“Incorporating dance into the performance could greatly enhance the audience experience. Along with enjoying live music and singing, attendees will appreciate seeing these art forms expressed through movement,” she added. “As the event evolves and embraces new ideas, integrating dance, music and other artistic elements will further enrich the overall experience.”
English and Creative Writing students who will have their original poetry interpreted and performed include graduate students Alycia Calvert, Shannon Hearn, Emma Jarman, Jenn Powers and Suzanne Richardson, as well as undergraduate students Mia Caridi, Madison Delameter, Georgia Kirshenbaum and Talia Landow.
One of several student composers includes Nicky Kuláy, a second-year graduate student in music composition.
“I am working with writer Alycia Calvert, whom I also collaborated with last semester. I really enjoyed our working relationship last time and was delighted to hear we were paired up again,” Kuláy said. “This time around, Alycia has been thinking a lot about space-time temporality, in a similar vein to Interstellar. I thought that was a great avenue to explore musically!”
He looks forward to the event and a chance to share the work, but he feels that the best part of the event is the emphasis and encouragement on collaboration across disciplines. He says it is interesting to learn how those in a different medium work; the composers are not just writing for themselves but get the opportunity to “create a piece of work that is the synthesis of multiple people and art forms, something better than if it were made alone.”
As this year’s event ramps up, Chang and Davis look forward both to this year’s performances and to a future at full of them. Their goal is to keep it changing — and to always reflect the constant evolution of student interests and perspectives.
“Each collaborator is also a part of the larger audience; there’s an electricity among the teams, knowing that each group is part of a shared experience,” Davis said. “We’re also hoping to provide a meaningful, joyful and inspiring experience for anyone in the campus or wider community. We’re creating new art together — across genres, perspectives and sensibilities — and that’s especially vital in our fractured world.”